Hunter
by KittiesOfDoom
Summary: Set after MR3. Aderyn is a birdkid from Wales. Following instructions from a strange Voice inside her head, she finds herself in New Zealand, on a mission even she isn't sure of. Linked to FireIce's story, Maximum Ride:The Australasian Invasion.
1. Rhyddha

**A/N: Hey people! This story isn't great, but please R&R! The story's linked with FireIce's story Maximum Ride: Australasian Invasion ! Well, the Voice is in underlined italics and Aderyn's thoughts in plain italics. Uh... read Australasian Invasion!**

_

* * *

_

_Touch __wood_

Obediently I dropped into a crouch, bracing myself on the hard wooden floor. A tranquilizer dart embedded itself in the wall behind me. I hadn't noticed the shadowed figure a couple of hundred metres away. Soft whirring clicks were made as they loaded another dart into the gun. I started scrambling away along the floor, weaving between the misshapen pillars that cluttered the room. I had been loose in the Erasers' _U&A Training Area_ for nearly thirteen minutes.

_Rabbit proof fence, Aderyn_

It took a moment to figure that one out, a moment I knew I'd have to pay for later.

_A rabbit proof fence… you go _over_ it!_

I swerved left, no longer hugging the floor, and bounded onto a low six-foot platform. Landing hard, I rolled into a jump and swung myself onto a higher column. By now I was panting, having been at these antics for longer than was comfortable.

_What now?_

Of course the voice inside my head found this the perfect time to go mute. If you don't find _that_ sentence weird, you have some serious issues.

Turns out I didn't have to decide what to do anyway.

A hulking Eraser/Robot slammed into the side of the pillar, cracking it through the middle. The dumb thing then started trying to climb up by digging its claws in but its weight had more than a slight consequence. The pillar fell down.

The Eraser/Thing (along with three of its buddies) was crushed underneath the column, which crashed into the surrounding platforms with a spectacular domino effect.

I leapt down as the pillar collapsed and dodged past a stunned whitecoat. The door out was open behind him, making my escape just a _little_ bit easier. When I was close on five hundred metres down the hallway I ran into a pack of real Erasers.

_Aruthr_

_Yes, isn't it just wonderful. Oh, you're back..._

_That I am_

I took up a fighting stance as the Erasers charged, my eyes flashing a merciless green in the dull light.

_How I hate these hell-hounds. Even more than that, the sadistic __bastards who created them. Created _me_. They did this to me!_

I felt a fimiliar surge of power well up inside me. Oops. _Bad._

_What have __I-_

_Done? Saved you__rself, Aderyn. Is there anything wrong with that?_

* * *

Sans vision, sans hearing, sans smell, sans feeling...

No, I _could_ feel faintly. I was not controlling my body, I was _not_ controlling my body... and yet? And yet I was.

I was in the middle of a round-house kick, smashing noses, necks, anything near me. I landed in a crouch postion, the blood covered floor allowing me to use the momentum to sweep my leg back around and fell the remaining Erasers- Wait, blood covered floor?

I looked down, shocked at the vast shinning pools on the ground.

_How-? Oh God, did I-?_

I stood up abruptly, hearing for the first time the wailing sirens and the message shouted over the speakers:

_**Arbrofa fysga , pawb baladr ymateb**_ _**Ca Aderyn!**_

_Experiment loose, all personel respond!__ Get Aderyn!_

Not good.

I ran down the hallway, feet sliding because they were slick with blood. A woman whitecoat came round the corner just ahead of me. I didn't really find that too interesting. What did draw my attention was the thing in her hand.

_The gun. Yours._

Mine?

The woman spasmed in fright, lifting the weapon shakily and pointing it at me. Do people _ever_ learn?

I leapt above her line of fire and came down directly in front of her. She let out a squeak before I pinced the muscle between her neck and shoulder firmly with my thumb and fingers. She wouldn't be getting up for a while.

_Mine._

I snatched the _Beretta 92FS_ from her hand as she slumped to the floor, and gave it a quick look over. It was a semi-automatic pistol; had the standard 125 mm barrel and there was a full clip of 9mm Luger Parabellum rounds loaded in. But this woman obviously didn't have a lot of experience with handguns. The safety was on.

I paused long enough to flip it off and wipe my feet on her coat and then I was gone. I sprinted flat-out on the sterile white floor, mind racing along with me.

_Windows, windows, why are there _never_ any windows?_

I flung myself round a bend and came face to face with a fully morphed Eraser.

"Oh."

The snarling sesspool of different DNAs swung a clawed hand at me, a blow I was a moment too slow avoiding.

_Sh-_

I was thrown into a wall with such force I'm certain I heard a rib crack.

_-it._

I slid slowly down the dented plaster, clutching at my side where blood was quickly welling from raking claw-marks. The Beretta had fallen from my grasp and lay two feet to my right, which of course was the side nearest the Eraser. The mungrel strode over to where I kneeled, a snide grin across it's face.

_Not particually intelligent, are they Aderyn?_ Enquired the Voice, it's monotonous drone hinting at actual humor.

_No, not really. Quite _un_intelligent to be completely honest..._

The Eraser yanked me up by the front of my plastic hospital gown, which was simply saving me the trouble. It drew me in close to its face, its putrid breath assulting my synuses.

I had two words for him: Breath. _Mint_.

"Hey beautiful." Hissed the Eraser, quivering muzzel inches from my face.

"Hey ugly." I sneared back, snapping a punch into its nose. It stumbled backwards a few steps, blood dripping through flared nostrils.

_That wasn't very smart_ Stated the Voice, seeming quite amused.

_Do you _really_ think I care?_ I screamed back in my mind as I circled the prone Eraser. _Coz right now I'm trying to focus on __**staying alive**_

_Then maybe you should pay attention to the Physco Eraser trying to rip you to shreds?_

I have to say, that brought me to attention rather fast.

The Eraser was running at me, murder gleeming in its beady eyes.

_Oh _[insert swear word of your choice here

_You're on fire_

Huh? Okay, decifering is a skill I obviously needed to get better at...

_I'm on fire- stop, drop and roll!_

I ducked left, rolling sideways past him and picking up the trusty Beretta. As the mutated hybrid turned, it finally realised its stupidity. Did it _really_ think it could beat me?

With a sweet smile I waved to it.

"Bye bye." I whispered, and pulled the tigger. The gun fired off four rounds rapidly, most of which found their target in the Erasers forehead, and I got the enjoyable experience of being splatter with bits of brain matter.

_Lovely_

For once I couldn't agree more.

I started running _again_ and finally found a window. It wasn't big, about the size of your average computer screen. I vaulted myself up onto the inner ledge, gasping as the effort pulled at the wound on my side. Bloody Eraser swine. And typically the window was a fixed one. With the handle of the gun I smashed out the glass, wincing as a new siren sounded. The sudden noise had also made me drop my weapon which fell to the ground with a dull _clunk_.

_Great, just what I need right now._

Looking out, I saw that there was a drop of roughly fourty feet. Finally some good luck. I propelled myself out the jagged opening and into the night sky. The wind hit me full-force as I dropped towards the ground, catching my hair and whipping it into my eyes. If only I could just fall forever...

My stupid brain quickly interupted my daydream and reality came rushing back. Two slits in my plastic shift were well placed, and smooth feathers ran over my spine. With a sigh I pulled out my wings and started to fly. The sudden weight of my body on my muscles brought me back to the times. Erasers and whitecoats were pouring out of buildings all around, some kneeling to fire at me. I banked sharply to soar south towards open skies, still trying to work the kinks out of my wings. They were stiff from days of being inside of a crate, but now stretched out to their full span of just over 12 feet they showed a brilliant tawny against the midnight sky. A singing bullet whizzed past and focused me.

_Fly f__ast, fly smart, die another day_

I put on a burst of speed, my body straining through the air. A thermal snagged at my feathers and I soared higher. Away from my hell. I was rhyddha. I was free.

* * *

**A/N: Um, yeah, not a master-piece but oh well! Please R&R! And read FireIce's story of she's gonna strangle me.**

**XxX-Kitties-XxX**


	2. Going International

**A/N: Okay, sorry people, I'm a slow writer okay? Yeah, this one's pretty lame too but oh well. As before, the** _Voice is in underlined italics_** and **_Aderyn's thoughts plain italics_**. Read _FireIce_s story** **_Maximum Ride: The Australasian Ivasion _or there will be no next chapter for she will have killed me! Hope you like it anyway though**

* * *

I stared about me, the gash in my side throbbing with every down-stroke as I drifted through the gentle wind. A familiar ache set in, something I always get from burning the midnight oil when there was none to spare. And yet the world went on; the clouds still billowed in the gusty air, animals still huddled together for warmth, I still soared through darkness to a fate I didn't know. I tried to fling these thoughts from my mind, toss them from me and into the abyss below. The cool night air ruffled my feathers, tickling and making me laugh. This brought on yet another melancholy concept. I had just laughed for the first time in years. 

_God, has it really been that long?_ I thought sadly, staring up into the dark sky. Moonlight shone down on me, glinting off my eyes as they took in the surrounds. The vast Welsh countryside stretched out below me, green hills taking on a ghostly silver appearance. My raptor eyes picked out a hare through the fog, grazing far below, zooming in until I could see its trembling nose. Heaving a sigh I tore my hungry eyes away as my hands tried to massage the feeling back into my arms.

_Voice? I don't think I can keep this up for much longer._

I could feel my wing-beats slowing of their own accord, letting me gradually drop lower. I was tiring and the fact I wasn't exactly full-up on energy to start with didn't help. Rubbing my eyes with a bloodstained hand I cast around for somewhere to land.

_Just ten more minutes, __Aderyn_

Ten minutes? Yeah right. It said that_ half-a-freaking-hour_ ago. I breathed out heavily through my nose with my lips pinched together as I forced my wings up and down, harder and harder.

* * *

_Aderyn__? Are you okay?_ The voice asked quietly. This time it wasn't commanding, in fact it almost sounded tentative. After pushing me for four hours could it actually be worried about me? 

"Oh yeah, I'm just peachy." I murmured to myself and/or the little person in my head. It was hard to tell as it was getting rather difficult to think. My feet and hands trailed beneath me as I was too drained to hold them up. My eyes sometimes fluttered closed only to have me snap them back open. The blood was slowly clotting at my side where the Erasers jagged claw marks ran along my ribs, making it hard to even breathe.

_There should be a small stream and clearing just below you. Can you see it?_

I looked down, seeing immediately where it meant. I stopped dragging myself forwards and hovered there for a few moments.

_Mmhmmm… Looking down on it right now._

The voice seemed to be thinking, maybe deciding if I_ really_ needed to sleep. It didn't matter, as nothing seemed to around then.

I could no longer support my own weight.

My vision went, and once again I was falling.

Only this time I _didn't_ pull out my wings…

* * *

Unconsciousness drifted away from me unhurriedly, leaving in gradual stages to the point where I could taste my own morning-breath. Strangely there was no nauseating antiseptic to accompany it. Instead there came an unfamiliar smell; it was quite faint yet almost sickly sweet and blew gently on the breeze towards me. 

_Daffodils__. Your national flower_

I sat up with a jolt, opening my eyes and doing an immediate 360. I was lying in a small stream, the water running softly over my body and rinsing it clean. All around me were scraggly trees illuminated in morning sunshine and laced with fog. A few yellow flowers littered the ground near me, giving off that beautiful scent.

_Good morning Aderyn. Are you… feeling alright?_ The Voice greeted.

_I guess last night wasn't a dream then._ Strange thoughts from a strange girl. Sigh.

I was angry with that little talking person shuffle around in my consciousness, but I decided to save my wrath for later.

_Good morning annoying Voice. _I thought with a wry smile, scooping up some water and splashing my face. _By the way _I'm_ feeling just wonderful._

It was true, actually. I felt… fresh. But the night before I had fainted. I _fell_. In fact I fell nearly three hundred feet. But when I woke up I felt better than I had in a long time. I had no broken bones, no scrapes, no bruises, no _nothing._ Heck, even the Eraser inflicted wound was faded and, by the feel, almost completely gone.

Thinking this much so soon after blacking out was hurting my already addled brain so after deciding to interrogate the Voice later I hauled myself to my feet and stepped cautiously onto the grass.

As I did so my stomach gurgled menacingly.

"Bleh… Hungry." I stated out loud. When had I eaten last? I think it was 'breakfast' the day before, so I was stuck with my stomach attempting to digest itself.

_Your journey requires __you to be strong_ Stated the Voice. Talk about creepy. Oh well, I was hungry and shivering from the cold water so for once I didn't mind.

Thinking of the rabbit from last night, I stalked off through the trees in search for breakfast.

**For the sake of your sanity I have left out the slaughter and **_**eating **_**five little juicy wabbits.**

Picking a sliver of pink flesh from between my front teeth, I finished washing my hands at a small brook and dried them briskly against my legs.

_Okay Voice. _I thought as I looked around me. _Where to?_

There was a pause before it answered me, in which I heard an odd noise echoing faintly. Was it… computer keys? Before I could make any more of it the Voice gave me an answer.

_Head __South-West, don't get seen… and Aderyn?_

There was always an 'and'. Rolling my eyes in exasperation, I ran along the clear expanse beside the water, leaping forwards and throwing out my wings. They screamed for a moment as they tried to get me airborne, me pushing them down with force as I skimmed along near the uneven ground. Suddenly they caught the air and I peeled away higher into the clear morning sky.

_Yes Voice? What's that? You actually have something worth saying that I'll be able to_ _understand? _I smiled. Nothing like irritable sarcasm to start the day.

_Get__ some clothes._ I looked down at my ripped and stained gown-thing. Okay, so it had had a point.

I fled for the peace up in the clouds, wings snapping and crackling as they stretched out the cricks. I'm sure normal wings don't do that, it doesn't really seem natural. Well guess what… my very existence is so entirely unnatural it's not even funny, so deal with it.

_Oh shut up me! _I thought angrily, eyes scrutinizing the terrain below. _Stop being such a smart-ass. _Sigh. Me and my wonderful multiple personalities…

The fringes of a suburb crawled closer, pitched corrugated iron roofs and cluttered backyard-jungles. And_ washing lines_.

_Oh yeah.__ I'm good…_I smiled, dipping the tip of one wing and wheeling downwards for a promising looking property. The owners of that particular house soon found themselves minus a pair of tight midnight jeans and one black silk skivvy. Some household a few doors over lost a dark grey cotton hoodie with cropped sleeves while another who'd left a part of Chucks by the back gate had them mysteriously disappear.

Freshly kitted out I took to the air again, surging upwards to a safe height before leveling myself into a coast.

_Voice? It might help if I knew where I was going? _I tugged at the too long hoodie absently as my hair flicked into my eyes, creating a silky auburn miasma that gave the world a intriguing new appear. As I tied it back with an elastic I found in a recently acquired pocket the Voice gave its answer.

_South. __The Airport_

_The__ Airport? There's an Airport out_ here

* * *

From a distance I observed the goings-on, watching little people in uniforms scurry about with a single-minded purposefulness that was quite amusing. The landing strip was not over-crowded, quite the opposite in fact, which was helpful to an extent. I had been analyzing the area for some time from a position in the treetops where I was reasonably hidden, and was beginning to grow impatient. I was gazing at a plane being loaded when my brain finally clicked. 

_I'm going in there aren't I?_

There was a pause, a moment where I wasn't sure if the Voice would answer. But it did, and what it said made a stupid grin stretch across my face.

_Yes, Aderyn, you are going in the cargo bay… We're going international _

* * *

**A/N: Crappy- Yes. Review- Or I'll rip your head off.**

**XxX-Kitties-XxX**


End file.
